This invention relates to a pawl-ratchet free-wheel mechanism for a bicycle hub comprising two rotor members rotatable about a common axis, namely an inner rotor member having an outer circumferential surface and an outer rotor member having an inner circumferential surface radially opposite to said outer circumferential surface and at least one pawl member for transmitting a torque between said rotor members.
Such pawl-ratchet free-wheel mechanisms are used in bicycle hubs, e.g. for transmitting the driving torque from a component of a planetary gear to a hub sleeve. In this case, the purpose of the pawl-ratchet free-wheel mechanism is to permit a free rotation of the bicycle hub sleeve in forward direction, when the bicycle rotates faster than the driving component of the respective planetary gear and, on the other hand, to permit torque transmission from the planetary gear component to the hub sleeve.
The pawl-ratchet free-wheel mechanisms for bicycle hubs are produced in large series, and it is highly important to manufacture the components of such a mechanism at lowest possible costs. On the other hand, these components must be manufactured with a very high precision. In known pawl-ratchet free-wheel mechanisms, expensive manufacturing steps are necessary, particularly for providing the bearing surfaces of the pawls, which are commonly made by milling.